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Barefoot running / Muscle Activation Therapy

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
It depends on where you run, and what you're goals are. I would go to a specialty shoe store and try on a couple different pairs of both VFFs and some other minimalist shoes. The Five Fingers do not come in regular sizes and the sizes are not consistent throughout the different lines so it's best to try on a pair before you buy them.

Besides the Five Fingers, New Balance has a trial and road version of their Minimus shoes as does Merrell with their Glove line.
 
I've been running in Brooks Pure Connect (4mm drop) and did my first half marathon in them; before them I was wearing puma faas 250's (6mm drop IIRC) but only doing 5k's. I know the brooks aren't completely zero drop, but they were fantastic for the half marathon. I've been thinking about picking up some altra's next to get into zero drop shoes.

The first thingyou notice when wearing zero-low drop shoes is definitely your calves, before my low drop shoes I could run about 5mi no problem. But after, I could barely handle a mile. Slow and steady is definitely the way to go, but after a couple of months of regular running, you'll be hitting your old distances and have super ripped calves!
 
Noticed this today: Barefoot running injury concern
Not a major study, but perhaps a reminder to take the risks seriously.

P.S. I'm reminded of Scooby’s patented pea technique - might be useful?
Scooby said:
In your running shoes, take a split pea and tape it in the heel of each shoe with the flat side down directly under the center of the heel. Best to use painters masking tape and replace it after every run, duct tape turns into a sticky, gooey mess. What this does is provide a gentle reminder on every stride to land on your claws (the ball of your foot) and not your heel!
 
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The first thingyou notice when wearing zero-low drop shoes is definitely your calves, before my low drop shoes I could run about 5mi no problem. But after, I could barely handle a mile. Slow and steady is definitely the way to go, but after a couple of months of regular running, you'll be hitting your old distances and have super ripped calves!

I went on my first run with my trail gloves this past Monday. I have barely been able to walk at all my calves have been hurting so bad. Going down stairs is particularly hard. I can normally run 5 miles no problem. I started running and made it about 1.5 miles and then realized I really needed to turn around so I ended up running 3 miles total. Big mistake. Next time I plan on doing 1 mile in total tops.
 
I went on my first run with my trail gloves this past Monday. I have barely been able to walk at all my calves have been hurting so bad. Going down stairs is particularly hard. I can normally run 5 miles no problem. I started running and made it about 1.5 miles and then realized I really needed to turn around so I ended up running 3 miles total. Big mistake. Next time I plan on doing 1 mile in total tops.

That's how I felt after my first run and realized that I hadn't used certain muscles in years. Ibuprofen should do the trick.
 
I learned a long time ago running cross country that shoes make all the difference. That being said, I was never keen on dropping a hundred bucks on a pair of shoes. Finally after some shin splint problems and knee issues I bought some vibram five fingers....epic...take a week or so walking in them when you can before trying any online of running. Since I have gotten them, ia have ran 2 tough mudders and a coupe road races and had them for almost 2 years now. Well worth the 85 bucks and no more pain in the shins and knees. Whomever asked about socks, if you want to wear socks, just know with these that it is advised by vibram to do all or nothing, and get fitted accordingly. Personally, I don't but my little brother has his with socks and has no complaints
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
Noticed this today: Barefoot running injury concern
Not a major study, but perhaps a reminder to take the risks seriously.

Thanks for the link Ray, this comment isn't intended for you, just for discussion.

This may be too obvious for some, but the point of switching to a minimalist shoe or running bare foot, is to have a more natural running style. If someone puts on a pair of Five Fingers and tries to run the same way they do in their Nike Shox they are going to have problems. The problems isn't with the shoes or their running style it's between their ears. Nobody runs in their bare feet the way they do in padded athletic shoes it's unnatural and hurts way too much, but if they ignore that instinct they probably will get hurt. Take you shoes off and run 2 blocks down the road, unless you live in skid row the chances of stepping on a bottle or hypodermic needle are pretty small, and it'll teach you in about 30 seconds how you're supposed to move.
 
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Thanks for the link Ray, this comment isn't intended for you, just for discussion.

This may be too obvious for some, but the point of switching to a minimalist shoe or running bare foot, is to have a more natural running style. If someone puts on a pair of Five Fingers and tries to run the same way they do in their Nike Shox they are going to have problems. The problems isn't with the shoes or their running style it's between their ears. Nobody runs in their bare feet the way they do in padded athletic shoes it's unnatural and hurts way too much, but if they ignore that instinct they probably will get hurt. Take you shoes off and run 2 blocks down the road, unless you live in skid row the chances of stepping on a bottle or hypodermic needle are pretty small, and it'll teach you in about 30 seconds how you're supposed to move.

It's true, you certainly won't take long strides and heel strike if running with bare feet. I like the minimalist shoes for walking around as I think they're just more comfortable, but I still prefer running with a bit more cushion under my feet than some of them offer. And it's disappointing that "minimalist" shoes cost so much.
 
My VFFs are about 3years old now, they're getting pretty thin! The bigger problem is all the rips and tears in the fabric from snagging them on bushes and branches.
 
Yea I guess if you think about it, there is a lot less to ruin on the VFF. There is no real sole and your biggest issue is the aforementioned snags and tears. I would never have expected a pair of any other shoes lasting that long but I am sold on the VFF's. I'll never wear anything else on future tough mudders, mud runs, and gym time.
 
I got interested in VFF not long after they came out and I ran exclusively in them for a couple of years. I built my mileage up slowly and mostly did trail running (although I did some running on pavement too). I was cross training too (biking & elliptical trainers) so my running mileage probably never exceeded 20-25 miles per week. I was really happy with them and had no complaints until I wore them for running on a road trip with my family last summer. My running mileage increased a bit because I didn't have any other crosstraining options, and I was only able to run on pavement. For whatever reason, I developed pain and swelling in the fifth metatarsals (above my little toes) of both feet.

I'm not as young as I used to be, so I decided to approach this with more caution than I once would have. For the next 6-8 weeks, I avoided running and opted to cycle instead. I also iced and elevated my feet after workouts--all that good stuff. In the meantime, I picked up a couple of pairs of conventional running shoes too. My daughter has been training for a race, so I've been running with her and wearing the conventional shoes. My mileage is back up again, but I haven't been running in my VFFs. I still wear them exclusively in the gym--I think they give me a versatile base for lifting and for using crosstraining machines like the elliptical trainer. However I haven't been running in them since my injury. I do miss trail running with them--they give you a much more intimate feeling of connection with the environment. Maybe I'll start again--I'm not opposed to that at all. Still, in 30+ years of regular running, this was just about the most serious running related injury that I've had that was actually due to running (I've had other injuries that affected my running, but they were generally caused by something else like work, MMA training, etc.).
 
I'm not sure if I'm going off topic, but I'd like to share my experience with minimalist shoes. Doesn't this sound like I'm about to say something BAD?

My first pair of minimalist shoes were VFF's (komodo sports). They weren't easy to get used to but once you do, its game over. You can't wear regular shoes, you know those desert boots you have? They suck (well my clarks do anyway). I couldn't wear my dress shoes because my feet demanded that I wear minimalist shoes daily.

Fast forward two years.
You get a lot of hate for wearing toe shoes, and they aren't appropriate for the office either. In comes VIVOBAREFOOT, These have worked particularly well for me and they have a "casual" mens line (sorry ladies) that have totally changed my daily feet routine. I have the BHARMA (think thats what they are called) and the Oaks (loafer/moccasin/boatshoe looking) and these sport the zero drop but they LOOK like normal shoes. Their Ra model is know for their exxaggerated toe box that may come off as "clown" shoes but I've never found that to be the case with the two models I have. My arches are as high to day (if not higer) than when I was wearing generic runners. These shoes have held up rather well in the past year, the soles are resilient and show no sign of thinning.

A recommendation I'd like to make are toe socks. I've only tried the ones from Injinji and of the performance and outdoor line. These help wick sweat and smell (and my feet... sweat and smell) off your feet if you decide to go commando in you're minimalist shoes. I quite dislike wearing regular "tube" socks after wearing minimalist shoes fulltime. These socks MUSt be hand washed though, and they are quite expensive ($10-12 at least). I personally favor the "outdoor" line as I found them to be most comfortable and moisture wicking. I found these socks after I transitioned but I would think that they may help one to transition to minimalist shoes.

I was a slow learner, I transitioned over to min. shoes over 4 months and am still learning (about my feet and shoes) 2 years later. If you're gonna hike in minimalist shoes, GET HIKING MINIMALIST SHOES. When you think you got the hang of VFF's and think you can conquer anything on foot ( like I did, in my KOMODO's) it'll hurt.

It should be known that I don't unless out of necessity, but I grew up with a rather sensitive/weak left ankle that hasn't bothered me in a long while. Yoga helped me a lot with the break in period =) I got into these shoes mainly to improve my over all posture.

Hope this helps!
 
I bought a pair of transition shoes, Merrill Bare Access 2s, after trying on several models. I gotta say I love them. I am really trying to go slowly as everyone suggests. I have worn them to work for a full day now and I have also run up to 1.5 miles. My usual daily runs range from 4 to 10 miles, so it is hard to make time for the short runs required of breaking in the feet to the new way of running. But so far, I love them. They look great, feel great and they keep me on my toes.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
You get a lot of hate for wearing toe shoes, and they aren't appropriate for the office either.

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A recommendation I'd like to make are toe socks. I've only tried the ones from Injinji ...

Smartwool makes nice toe socks ... having tried them and Injinji, I'm sold on smartwool.
 
Careful with barefoot running. Books like Chi Running and The Pose Method of Running were great boons for the barefoot/midstrike concept. Othopedic surgeons are pretty frustrated with sports medicine guys becuase there really is not concrete evidence that supports barefoot running yet they push it like it's the greatest thing ever (then also push their shoes to buy; 5-toe, vibram etc). I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but just like anything else, YMMW.
 
Out of curiosity, is there ANY evidence to show that forefoot striking is more natural?
It seems easy to check. Find any population that has never had access to running shoes, observe how they run.
Perhaps such people are hard to find nowadays. But surely there must be old footage lying around somewhere.
I'm reminded of the very early sequences of photos of horses running. They snapped people too IIRC.
 
Out of curiosity, is there ANY evidence to show that forefoot striking is more natural?
It seems easy to check. Find any population that has never had access to running shoes, observe how they run.
Perhaps such people are hard to find nowadays. But surely there must be old footage lying around somewhere.
I'm reminded of the very early sequences of photos of horses running. They snapped people too IIRC.

This ones easy to prove and you dont need any high speed pictures either. Take your shoes off and go for a run, you instinctively either run on your forefeet or flatfooted as there's no pillows under your heel to cushion the pain of the heel strikes.
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
Out of curiosity, is there ANY evidence to show that forefoot striking is more natural?
It seems easy to check. Find any population that has never had access to running shoes, observe how they run.
Perhaps such people are hard to find nowadays. But surely there must be old footage lying around somewhere.
I'm reminded of the very early sequences of photos of horses running. They snapped people too IIRC.

There's a whole book about it Born to Run

This is not a scientific book by any means. I don't agree with everything Chris McDougall writes about, and he romanticizes the events somewhat but it is good read.
 
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